1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to postmix beverage dispensing and in particular to a unique dispensing module that can be original equipment or retrofitted onto existing beverage dispensers in place of a dispensing valve. A disposable concentrate package with integral pump, mixer and nozzle is front-loaded into the module which refrigerates the concentrate, pumps it into a mixer and dispenses the beverage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Postmix beverage dispensers are well-known and include counter-electric units with mechanical refrigeration systems and towers with ice-cooled drop-in or cold plate units under the counter or remote. These dispensers include carbonators (built-in or separate) for providing carbonated or soda water for carbonated beverages and some also provide still water for non-carbonated beverages. The dispensers usually include a plurality of dispensing valves on the front for dispensing a variety of different beverages. Soft drink concentrates or syrups are often supplied in bag-in-box or figal containers that are separate from the dispenser, and juice concentrates, which require refrigeration, are supplied in a variety of packages that fit into the dispenser itself to provide the needed refrigeration. Juice dispensers are known with built-in pumps, such as peristaltic pumps, built into the dispenser which work with a tube that is part of a disposable juice package. Juice concentrate packages are also known in which include an integral pump and mixing nozzle disposable along with the concentrate container, to eliminate the need to sterilize any equipment. The pump connects to a motor in the dispenser.
Because of the different needs of equipment to dispense non-carbonated juice beverages and carbonated soft drink beverages, different types of dispensing equipment are used. That is, a restaurant often has a soft drink dispenser alongside a juice dispenser.